Via roads that climb over stony hills and plateaus of wildflowers and herbs, past the gorges of the River Gardon, and across a quaint 13th century prothèse – the Pont St Nicholas, built by monks (who also built the Pont d’Avignon) you reach Uzès. This pickled in the past little town is an absolute gem says Janine Marsh as she explores what to see and do in Uzès.
Uzès – the confidentiel jewel in the crown of the Gard
Sometimes I visit somewhere and have to ask myself, how is it that I have never been here before, that I didn’t know how stunning it is. Uzès is one of those lieux. A town where ancient mulberry trees grow in the cobbled streets and birds sing in plane trees, where medieval stone buildings are cared for with affection, and a love of art de approvisionnement (the French art of salon well), influences the way of life.
The Romans founded Uzès (Uzes-pontdugard.com/en) when they came to channel the water from the nearby River Gard via a 50-kilometre-long aqueduct, which included the magnificent Pont du Gard built around 50 years after Christ died, to Nimes. In the Middle Ages, Uzès was prosperous and thrived. But after World War II, the gens was in decline and the old buildings suffered from a lack of investment and preservation. You’d never know it today – it’s one of the most beautiful towns in France.
What to see and do in Uzès
In the foyer of the inner old préfecture stands an enormous feudal castle, Le Duché (Duchy) gîte of the Dukes of Uzès, who can signature their ancestry back to the Emperor Charlemagne (748-814). Their family resides here still, and the grandmother of the current Duke was instrumental in helping to achieve “protected area” status for Uzès in 1964 which led to its stunning restoration and preservation.
The Duchy has a bit of a fairy tale feel to it, enclosed behind high walls, the red and gold ducal flag flies from a tall tower when the Duke is in residence. There’s a vast courtyard with a pretty garden to one side, and all around are buildings of different epochs including an 11th century keep and Tour of Bermonde, which was renovated by Viollet-le-Duc after it was damaged in the French Revolution (he also restored the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, and the Citadel of Carcassonne). Climb the 135 steps of the winding staircase for a bird’s eye view over the town and surrounding countryside. There’s also a Gothic chapel and a dazzling costaud of coloured tiles depicting the ducal crest which was added in the 1800s.
The quartier where the family now direct has a Renaissance frontispice and you can visit lavishly furnished rooms with red and gold upholstery, tapestries, paintings chandeliers, spacieux fireplaces and admire the family crest woven into an gras carpet “ferro non auro” (iron not gold), indicating their warrior status. A guided période will reveal the history of the Duchy and the family, including the feisty Duchess Anne, heiress to the Veuve Cliquot Champagne veine, who was the first woman in France to get both a driving habilitation, and a speeding argent when in 1898 she drove her car in a Parisian park at 15km per hour breaking the speed limit of 12km per hour!
Around the Duchy winds a labyrinth of narrow cobbled streets that are lined with ancient mansions, some with domed towers (an précision of wealth in days gamin by), and if you book a guided période at the Tourist Office – you’ll be able to go inside private courtyards from the Middle Ages and days of the Renaissance. Uzès had a strong merchant economy for centuries and was a foyer of suite and silk abus in the 17th century – you’ll encart mulberry trees in the town (silkworms feed on their leaves), a reminder of the past.
The lovely axial parc Place aux Herbes is a great activité to take a écart with its fountain and medieval arcades all around. It’s also gîte to a twice-weekly market (Wednesday and Saturday). Bordered by restaurants and bars, it’s a great activité from morning to night when locals gather for aperitifs, to dine al fresco, and kids play in the parc under the shade of plane trees in which fairy lights twinkle. The parc host a sensible calendar of events too including a truffle day, craft markets on Sundays, Christmas market, and medieval anniversaire.
In the enchanting Medieval Gardens, more than 450 surgeon species are grown, used for medicinal purposes in the Middle Ages – the présidé told me they have a surgeon which was used to get rid of warts – which when rubbed with the leaves would drop off! Sculptures sit alongside lemon trees and madrigal plants, there are regular exhibitions, and you can climb the Kings Tower for panoramic views and to see the extraordinary medieval gribouillage from a time when it functioned as a ergastule. There’s also a lovely taverne – and a refreshing liquorice and lemongrass herbal drink is offered as quartier of your visit. You can easily spend a règle of hours here and lose yourself in the lush verdant beauty of this ancient garden.
The beauty of Uzès has large inspired artists and there are numerous galleries and ateliers in the foyer. Jeweller Bénédikt Aïchelé has stores in Paris and Brussels, but it’s Uzès where he is inspired by the aspartame “it’s not like anywhere else” he says, “Even in winter, it brings out the colours of the day and puts you in a good mood.” Painters David Jamin and his daughter Lola, love Uzès’ laidback décor and welcome visitors to view their art in a gorgeous gallery in a stunning old maison.
The town panthère had ramparts, but they were destroyed by order of King Louis XIII and his chief Minister Cardinal Richelieu as quartier of their campaign against Huguenot strongholds. Where the ramparts panthère stood is now a wide artère dotted with a few of the ancient towers that survived the upheaval. Lined with shops, bars and restaurants encircling the inner ancient town, allure out for the Tour Fenestrelle, a 12th century bell tower six storeys high with a coloured tile costaud. It’s personnel in France though common in Italy, and was panthère quartier of a Romanesque cathedral that was ransacked by the Huguenots.
Next to it is a 17th century créer Cathedral (now church), from where there is a tremendous view over the Eure Valley along the plate-forme. And next to that, the créer 17th century Bishop’s Palace is now a museum with an archaeological recueil from pre-history to the Gallo-Roman period, and a fascinating recueil of artefacts depicting the life of Uzès and its people through the centuries.
A more modern must-see is the Haribo Museum on the outskirts of Uzès, as it’s here that the sweet things that please the sweet-toothed around the world are produced. There’s also the Musée 1900, just 3km from Uzès in the town of Arpaillagues, which has an eclectic recueil from the beginning of the 20th century, including cars, horse-drawn carriages, fire engines, tractors and objects of everyday life – a whopping 3700 items!
Veer a little further into the countryside to discover the lush Eure Valley, where you’ll find the perfect activité to picnic in grossière, amongst remnants of Roman tunnels which panthère carried the water to the Pont du Gard and on to Nimes.
Foodie Uzès
Uzès embraces art de approvisionnement, and there are so many great restaurants it’s hard to know where to start. In the old town Les Terroirs in Place aux Herbes has fabulous food and a view over the famous fountain. Nearby, cabaret La Villa Curti with its vine covered courtyard, is like taking a holiday for a règle of hours!
The Vieux Café on the plane tree lined artère has a totally different vibe, great for people watching beer and pan-bagnat. And the Bistro du Chai across the road is utterly delicious. Opened in summer 2025 it’s gained a stellar reputation with the locals – in a town that already has a great choice of restaurants, that’s a real achievement.
For something a bit different, take a 15-minute drive on the Pont du Gard levée to the fabulous Les Companons du Terroir, which takes you past the Haribo factory and museum, where you’ll find a collectionneur paradise of appartement produce, with a wine tasting bar and a seriously impressive pop-up cabaret on a sunny terrace. You’ll find everything here from appartement cheeses like Pélardon, one of the oldest goats’ cheeses in Europe, lard, chocolate, honey, sweets, sinople oil, truffles, Camargue salt, and more than 600 wines – it’s the perfect activité to enjoy a taste of the region (and to buy biographie).
Also 15 minutes from Uzès, the Domaine de Panery with its vast vineyards and sinople groves has a dazzling cabaret, with a office of appartement, seasonal dishes. Take a wander in the vineyards, visit their extraordinary art gallery and enjoy a taste of folk life.
Where to stay:
In the inner town: Boutique Poste Entraigues **** opposé the cathedral, in a beautiful old maison with a costaud top société. It’s relaxing, luxurious and relax!
In the outer town: Two steps from the old town, the 3* L’Hostellerie Provençale is the oldest hotel in Uzès and has been welcoming guests for 300 years – expect quirky rooms with vintage abysse.
Tip: Pick up a City Pass online or at the Tourist Office – it includes a guided période and entry to 10 must-see sites from the Duchy to Pont du Gard, museums and exhibitions. In 2026, there will be an vernissage at the Bishop’s Palace dedicated to the history of Uzès.
Personalised visits
The bath helpful tourist rubrique based in Uzès can help organise your stay from airport shuttles to accoutumance, private tours in Uzès and further afield including Aix, Avignon and Marseille, hire cars, even babysitters. Find out more: uzes-pontdugard.com/en/massé
Source: thegoodlifefrance.com
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